


Lego Under the Red Hood

by Furrina



Category: The LEGO Batman Movie (2017), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Ressuraction, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Lego Universe but proceed with caution, M/M, Will Add More as the story progress coz I'm not sure where I go next
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-04 08:37:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10987368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Furrina/pseuds/Furrina
Summary: Lego Under the Red HoodOr the one where Joker accidentally kills a Robin and spends the rest of his life trying to make up for it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ever since I watched Lego Batman, I’ve been thinking how the Red Hood storyline would fit into this world. So, well, here goes nothing.

 

It was an accident. Honestly. It’s not like Joker really __meant__ to kill the kid.

It’s just that… like all relationships, his and Batman’s relationship had also hit the Seven Year Itch. Batman had been spending all his time with the __Justice League__ fighting other villains… better villains... villains not even from this world... and he didn’t have any time for the __local__ villains. Not even Joker. His greatest enemy. Instead he sent the BatLady (GirlBat?) and Robin - not even the real Robin, who was now all grown up and attending Harvard for Police in Bludhaven, but some imposter __child__ \- to fight him.

So what was Joker to do to get the attention of his One True Hate?

He had gone for the Ultimate Grand Gesture the first time - breaking out all the Super Villains of the Phantom Zone and blowing up the pillar-plates of Gotham city. This time, he decided to K.I.S.S - Keep It Short and Simple.

He waited until the BatLady was busy with Poison Ivy to kidnap Not-Robin. All he had planned to do was to beat up Not-Robin a little and leave him in a bomb-rigged warehouse, while Harley hacked into the Justice League computer and left a small personal message for The Dark Knight.

Of course, no one could have foreseen Batman not getting the message until much later. No one could have foreseen Batman being too late to save Robin. No one could have even imagined Batman failing the one time it mattered the __most__. Especially, not Joker.

If he had stuck around, he would have seen the new Robin dragging himself to door of Warehouse, trailing blood in his wake. He would have seen him trying to pick the lock, but repeatedly failing because the blood in his eyes made it impossible to see. He would have heard the angry curses turn to begging pleas for help. Seen the fear and horror give way to firm resolve as young Jason prepared himself for the inevitable.

He would have seen the way Batman ran towards the building like his life depended on it. The stunned shock as it blew up not fifty paces from him. Or the desperation on his face as he hunted through the bricks and rabble to find his young partner. Or heard his gut-wrenching cries as Batman cradled the broken body of his second son.

But Joker didn’t see any of that. He wasn’t even there when the bomb went off; already far far away, chugging happily in his boat, eagerly anticipating his next fight with Batman, not really caring what happened to the little usurper.

But Batman didn’t come. Not the next day, or the day after that. By the time the week rolled around, Joker was beginning to suspect his plan had failed, but he couldn’t even begin to imagine the magnitude of his failure until Killer Croc showed up at their Warehouse-Manor with some fish wrapped a week old newspaper.

Joker had stared in horror at the picture accompanying the glaring Headlines “Billionaire Playboy Bruce Wayne Buries Adopted Son”. He saw Commisioner Gordon standing stoically in front of the uncomfortably small coffin. The man he had now come to recognise as Bruce Wayne’s elusive butler beside her - head high, eyes dry, staring straight in the camera. A small byline claimed that Wayne’s older son, Richard, hadn’t made it to the funeral, leading to all kinds of speculations amongst the Gothamites.

And then there was Bruce Wayne. Not Batman. Bruce Wayne.

Now, Joker had come a long way from thinking Batman lived in Bruce Wayne’s basement to knowing the Bruce Wayne and Batman were the same person. But the man in the picture - shoulders drooped, suit rumpled, sporting more than a hint of beard, down to the haunted look in his eyes - was NOT Batman. He was Bruce Wayne. Completely and utterly broken Bruce Wayne.

Bane had once claimed that his greatest achievement was that he had broken the Bat. He had held Batman above his head and cracked his spine. Joker had cursed out Bane because without Batman crime was no fun, but someone - Joker can’t really remember who, but that’s not really important - had said it didn’t matter what happened to the man underneath the mask. Batman’s greatest power was his spirit, and as long as his spirit remained unbroken, Batman would always come back.

And Joker… Joker had managed to do just that. By killing Bruce Wayne’s son, he had completely and utterly destroyed his spirit. He hadn’t just managed to kill Robin, Joker had killed Batman.

“It wasn’t your fault, Boo-boo”, Harley said, because Harley was his best girlbuddy, and they had known each other since she was still Dr. Quinzel, a psychiatrist with a crush on her patient.

Joker shrugged unhappily, refusing to acknowledge the truth of her statement. If Batman hadn’t ignored him, Joker wouldn’t have resorted to such extreme measures. But what was done was done. Now was not the time for blame games. Joker’s miscalculation had cost the life of someone Batman cared about, so the least he could do was apologize.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.” - Elie Wiesel

 

“It wasn’t your fault, Boo-boo”, Harley said, because Harley was his best girlbuddy, and they had known each other since she was still Dr. Quinzel, a psychiatrist with a crush on her patient.

Joker shrugged unhappily, refusing to acknowledge the truth of her statement. If Batman hadn’t ignored him, Joker wouldn’t have resorted to such extreme measures. But what was done was done. Now was not the time for blame games. Joker’s miscalculation had cost the life of someone Batman cared about, so the least he could do was apologize

\--

“What are you doing here?” Original Robin - or Nightwing, as he now preferred to be called - glared unimpressedly at Joker.

“Where’s Batman?”

“That’s none of your damn business,” he snapped. “Why are you here?” 

Joker barely refrained from rolling his eyes.

For the past few weeks, he had tried many plots to get the Bat’s attention, including kidnapping the Mayor, and blowing up an orphanage full of children. But, every time, Commissioner Gordon had showed up with her police force to thwart his plans. She had managed to rescue the Mayor and save the children, and Joker was grudgingly forced to admit that she was not as incompetent as her father, the older Commissioner Gordon.

He even had his minions break into the Wayne Manor, but it was empty. Not literally; all the furniture was still there, even in the Batcave, but there was an air of emptiness that is usually associated with long abandoned places. Even Butler was gone.

So he had done what he should have done in the beginning. He had hunted down Nightwing.

It hadn’t been easy. By an unspoken code, no Villain fought with another Villain’s Hero without explicit invitation. But Joker wasn’t interested in fighting anyone, he just wanted information.

A well-placed source in Bludhaven PD had informed him that Tiger Shark was expecting a shipment of weapons at Tail’s End Bay and said that Nightwing had been personally invited - something about a trap - and Joker had wanted to see what Junior was capable of with his own two eyes. And if he was a bit concerned about the kid taking on the villains by himself and wanted to ensure his well-being, well, he convinced himself it was because he was trying to find Batman, and right now, Nightwing was his only hope.

He needn’t have worried, however, because the protege of Bat was more than capable of handling himself.

The original Robin had shown up  looking every inch a performer, in his  bare-chested blue -black costume with shiny gold sequins and a large standing collar as he jumped and leaped and flipped over his enemies. He hadn’t fought, as much as danced around and over them while they tried and failed to the hit air he moved in.  He hadn’t used guns, hadn’t even carried them, just a pair of Escrima sticks - which Joker thought was rather foolish. If he had his way, the kid would be loaded with weapons - but he still managed to bring down the entire squad.

The kid was very  good - Joker had to give him that. He would make some villain very happy one day.

Joker waited until the goons were taken away - knowing BPD, they would be out within hours - before making his presence felt. He had h ad to take a moment to appreciate how the time had changed the bubbly little boy in barely there shorts he once knew, into this confident young man, but then Nightwing had crossed his arms across his bare chest and demanded to know what he wanted.

“I want… to talk…to  _ Batman _ ,” he repeated, with emphasis on ‘Batman’.

“He’s wants nothing to do with you,” Nightwing replied curtly. “Anything you have to say, you say it to me.”

Joker pursed his lips and glared at him. “Fine!” he snapped, “then stop wasting my time.” He took a few steps back and turned around to jump... 

Joker sighed. It was a loud audible sigh designed to convey emotions better than words. Not surprisingly it worked. “What?” Nightwing turned around.

“It’s about the boy.”

“What boy?” Nightwing asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

“THE boy,” Joker replied. “The imposter. Fake Robin.”

“How dare you,” Nightwing hissed. “How DARE you take his name with filthy mouth, you murderer.”

“I... I didn’t...” Joker, for once in his life, was at a loss for words. “I didn’t want to...” 

But Nightwing wasn’t done. “You KILL my brother and you come here, to MY city, to gloat?” He took a few threatening steps towards Joker, “I will fucking kill...”, but stopped mid-step, and yelled into the night, “Fuck you, Batman. Fuck you and fuck your moral code. Fuck! YOU!”

He took a few steps back, needing to get away from this place... from this  _ conversation _ . He had left his home, lost his family because of this...  _ monster...  _ in front of him, and there nothing he could do about it. Because of Batman... and his fucking moral code.

“And you,” he addressed Joker. “The only reason you’re still breathing is because Batman made me promise that I wouldn’t kill you. But don’t for moment think I won’t find ways around it. Now get the fuck out of my city.”

“But... why?” Joker  spoke up before Nightwing could leave.  Nightwing clenched his fists and took a step towards him. Maybe Nightwing would beat him up. It was no less than what he deserved. “Why would he… I thought he hated me.”

“H e doesn’t hate you,” Nightwing  said carelessly. “He doesn’t even blame you for Jason’s death.” J oker felt  something  strange creep into his heart, but Nightwing destroyed it before  he could identify what it was . “He  blames  himself. ”

“What?”

“‘I should’ve been there, Dick,’ he said, ‘I shouldn’t have let Jason face Joker alone. I ignored my responsibilities. I failed my partner. I failed Gotham. I don’t deserve to wear this cowl.’”

“But it wasn’t his fault,” Joker protested, not even sure why. What Batman had said was exactly what Joker had been thinking all this time. But to hear Batman blaming himself… He didn’t know why it affected him this way. It wasn’t right. Batman was supposed to blame him. Batman was supposed to HATE him. “I took the boy,” he said. “Me. I beat him up. I killed him.”

“But HE was supposed to save him,” Nightwing cried. “Why should we blame you. You are a criminal. You’ve killed lots of people. You blow up orphanages as distraction. Jason might as well have been another orphan in Gotham… a street rat for you mow down… but he was MY BROTHER. He was his SON! HE was Jason’s father, and you… you are a NOBODY.” 

Joker gaped at the boy in front of him.  His head felt heavy and his body felt light. The last time he had felt this way was when Batman had told him there nothing between them. But it was so long ago, it was practically in another lifetime.

“How can I make this right?”  The words left Joker’s mouth before he could stop them.

“Unless you can find a way to bring Jason back to life, you’re shit out of luck, pal,” Nightwing replied sarcastically, and before Joker could stop him, took a flying leap into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate this chapter. I really do. But this is best I've got right now.

**Author's Note:**

> Your thoughts? While I work on the rest of the first chapter (nope, even the chapter is not yet complete, sorry :( )


End file.
